1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to mobile devices. More particularly, the present invention relates to a mobile device having a portrait-oriented handheld housing, and keys which are arranged in such a manner that keys mounted on a landscape-oriented keyboard of a personal computer are divided into a plurality of groups, each group of keys being shifted in the longitudinal direction of the housing with respect to one another, and further relates to a key arranging method.
2. Description of the Related Art
Typically, personal computers incorporate a keyboard having substantially the same key layout as the traditional key layout of a typewriter, which is contrived to help operators efficiently enter characters with fingers of both hands. Therefore, operators can comfortably operate keyboards which are manufactured by different companies.
Meanwhile, mobile information devices or personal digital assistants (PDAs) such as electronic dictionaries are contrived in different manners so that keys may be mounted on an operating panel having a confined area to provide simplification and reliability for key operation.
Such mobile information devices which are contrived in different manners so that keys may be mounted thereon eventually provide different key layouts from manufacturer to manufacturer. Therefore, a problem arises in that a machine from one manufacturer may not be smoothly operated by users who use machines from different manufacturers, or by users who are not familiar with the same type of machine.
Another problem is that since a device incorporating the key layout of a typewriter is landscape-oriented as shown in FIG. 1, the housing is held by one hand while the keys are operated with fingers of the other hand with difficulty.